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Oceanid
Oceanids were a race of marine humanoids who while possessing many human like features had multiple adaptations for dwelling in aquatic environments. While never very numerous recent human activities throughout the 20th and 21st Centuries had driven the race to near extinction. Anatomical Features Species History Oceanids were an ancient race, with sightings of individuals dating back to the Phoenicians and other ancient maritime cultures who dared to head out into the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. For the majority of history, the Oceanids kept a healthy distance away from humanity, having little need to venture ashore when their island cities could support both their terrestrial and aquatic needs. One of the few exceptions was the sacred island of Atlantis, which was the basis of a trading alliance between the Oceanids and the Minoans. Unfortunately for both races a terror attack by an unknown force caused a geological incident that swallowed the island and doomed both peoples dwelling there. Despite this set back, the Oceanids continued to thrive, advancing their unique technologies into an early tidal powered industrial revolution. During this time the population flourished and large amounts of the population of the largely Atlantic based Oceanids migrated westward, and encountered the Houses of Xibulba, who for a price opened the 'River of the Underworld' up to the migrants, allowing them access to the Pacific. This reliance on others for their passage would later prove to be a fatal mistake, since the 'River' was closed when the new Mayan Pantheon overthrew their ancestors and cut them off from any outside source of power. The Fall of Oceanus Despite the separation of the two populations both Oceanid hubs were able to thrive, although it could be said that the ancient power base of the Atlantic grew even more decadent leading to a sense of envy in the Pacific Colonies. This decadence would however, attract human interest and in 1939 an emissary of the Third Reich traced down the capital of Oceanus using ancient charts, thus becoming the first human to interact with the race since the fall of Atlantis. Preaching peace the Germans offered an alliance against the aggression of the British Empire (or more accurately the increasing water pollution the Oceanids were forced to abide) in return for tactical maritime support. Almost without haste the Oceanid leaders accepted this offer, and soon German reserves were deployed in their cities to aid in fortification, and presumably later to act as shock troops for when Hitler decided to take the cities for himself. The war over the cities between the Allies and the German-Oceanid alliance didn't become important until 1944 when German industry moved into the cities. While the Oceanids were outraged at this intursion the Germans stated that the shift was necessary to defend all the fatherlands of the glorious Axis, citing the fall of Italy as the first step in the Allies plan to eradicate the 'right thinking' people of the world. In truth this shift in industry just attracted the attention of allied bombers and naval forces, and in the winter of 1945 the allies lead a three week long campaign to destroy the factories, with the effort reducing the Atlantic Oceanid population to dangerously low levels. By the time the campaign was over, what remained of the population fled westwards, hoping to escape via the 'River of the Underworld'. Road to Extinction Ultimately this flight lead to a dead end, with the river having collapsed centuries before leaving only a series of marine caves leading to the other side of the Panama isthmus. Braving the dark conditions anyway, the Oceanids lost more people to starvation and depression with only a third of those who had fled the Atlantic reaching the Pacific. Expecting a happy reunion with their western kin, the refugees were mistaken. Anger had built up over the affluence of the old kingdom leading to an aggressive attitude among the Pacific faction. Instead of aiding the refugees, the residents declared war on their kin resulting in the Oceanid Civil War, a brief and bloody campaign that lasted two years and ended up claiming a large percentage of the remaining population.. The carnage left in the war's wake was so devastating that it lead to a 'Dark Age' for the survivors, with the species going back to a tribal way of life. Factoring in a limited population, the increase in water pollution lead to an increase in child mortality and disease, eventually resulting in the death of the male gender in the species. What few Oceanids remained became obsessed with human destruction, and acted as marine terrorists, killing humans and sinking boats whenever possible, determined to punish humanity for their passing. By the beginning of the 21st Century only one or two failing tribes remained, as disease, low birth rates and attrition from a one sided warfare with humanity took their toll on the species. In the end the species was functionally extinct by 2016 when the last few representatives of the species died from the result of a freak beaching on the shores of Washington State. Cultural Aspects of the Species Category:Species